Among the throngs of suits gathered in Washington to watch James Comey testify on Thursday, there was a notable absence: a personal lawyer sitting at the former FBI director's back.

Unlike, say, when David Kendall held a prominent seat behind Hillary Clinton two years ago, there was no lawyer obviously appearing with Comey at the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing.

Several top D.C. white-collar lawyers said this month they didn't know whom Comey had retained as a lawyer–or if he had hired one at all.